India needs 8 lakh MW power: PM

Stating that no industrial development was possible sans electricity, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that power generation in the country would have to be increased six-fold to 800,000 MW in the next 25 years to match the growing needs.

The demand for energy is rising with the pace of India's progress and power consumption is also increasing. Some experts say power consumption will rise six-fold in the next 25 years, he said after laying the foundation stone of a Rs 5,222 crore (Rs 52.22 billion) Western Region System Strengthening Scheme-II of the Power Grid Corporation Ltd at Chincholi village, 18 kms from Solapur.

The power generation in the country would have to be increased from the present 120,000 MW to 800,000 MW in the next 25 years to keep pace with demand for power, he said.

The prime minister said there is a need for optimum utilisation of energy. "We have to ensure that there is no energy wastage and should also focus on sectors like power generation through sources like dams, wind, solar and nuclear energy," he said.

Singh said there were still several areas in the country which did not have electricity facility.

"Under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikiran Yojana, we will ensure electrification of all villages in the country in the next four years. This is our promise," he said.